In DE 20 1008 012 139 U1, a device for cleaning the wheel of a vehicle in a vehicle washing installation is disclosed. Said device comprises a wheel washing brush which is driven in rotation by a brush drive unit, and which is driven by a motor through a guide device between a rest position remote from the wheel and a cleaning position on the wheel, wherein the wheel washing brush is moved by the guide device from the rest position toward the wheel at a downward slant into the cleaning position. Before the wheel is cleaned with a wheel washing brush in such wheel washing devices, the cleaning fluid must first be sprayed onto the wheel in order to dissolve adhering debris which can then be removed more easily with the wheel washing brush.
An additional example of a known vehicle washing installation in the form of a movable washing portal 1 having two portal columns 2, 2′ is shown in FIG. 1. A portal cross bar connecting the portal columns 2, 2′ is omitted to simplify the drawing. Since, in FIG. 1, the represented parts of the washing portal 1 represented on both sides of the vehicle V to be washed are designed identically, primarily the lower side in FIG. 1, which is the left side in a washing direction W, is described below. The statements apply accordingly to the other portal column 2′, wherein corresponding parts of the portal column 2′, on the side which is on top in FIG. 1, bear the same reference numerals followed by an apostrophe as the corresponding parts on the other side, for example, 2′ instead of 2.
In a wheel washing process, the vehicle V is first moved into a washing position shown in FIG. 1. Then the washing portal 1 moves first in the washing direction W, which extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle V. In order to spray the diagrammatically indicated wheel R with cleaning agent 3, 3′, a cleaning nozzle 4 is arranged in the washing direction W before a wheel washing brush 5.
The wheel washing brush 5 is arranged in an extendable guide 6. The guide 6 is used in order to be able to bring, in the case of vehicles having different track widths, the wheel washing brush 5 as much as possible with its rotation axis to the axis height of the vehicle wheel R. From the position shown in FIG. 1, the washing portal then moves on in the washing direction W with the spray nozzle 4 along the wheel R, until the end of the wheel R is reached. Both the beginning and the end of the wheel R can be detected by a photoelectric barrier 7 which transmits, beneath the vehicle V, a light beam 8 transversely to the washing direction W.
To permit the sprayed-on cleaning fluid to act as long as possible on the wheel R, the washing portal 1 then moves on first in the washing direction W toward the rear wheel of the vehicle V and it sprays the latter in the same manner with cleaning liquid. Optionally, in the meantime, additional vehicle treatments, for example a vehicle washing, can be carried out. Subsequently, the washing portal 1 moves back against the washing direction W, detects by means of the photoelectric barrier 7 the wheel position again, and then removes the dissolved soiling on the wheel R by means of the extendable wheel washing brush 5.
FIG. 2 shows a top view on the portal column 2 of the washing portal 1 of FIG. 1 from the washing direction W, wherein, to improve the explanation, the wheel washing brush 5 with guide 6 is indicated only diagrammatically and in broken lines. FIG. 2 a) shows the case in which the wheel R with rim F1 and rubber coat M1 is very large, which is usually the case in vehicles having a large track width. The wheel R therefore is already located relatively close to the portal column 2. In order to be able to wet the large wheel rim F1 sufficiently with cleaning liquid, the cleaning nozzle 4 must provide, as shown in FIG. 2 a), a broadened spray jet 3. As is evident from a comparison of FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the spray jet 3 is broadened substantially in the height direction, but not in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle V.
If now, in the same washing portal 1, a vehicle with small wheels is to be washed, which usually has a small track width, then such a small wheel R2, as shown in FIG. 2 b), is as a rule relatively far from the portal column 2. However, since the cleaning nozzle 4 is secured firmly to the portal column 2, the spray jet 3 has to spray very broadly, a process in which it then is broadened very strongly, as shown in FIG. 2 b). This has the disadvantage that, owing to the large distance from the spray nozzle 4 to the wheel R2, a clearly stronger spray jet 3 is required, i.e., a correspondingly higher pressure must be provided at the cleaning nozzle 4. In addition, the spray jet 3 to a large extent sprays past the wheel R2, so that a large portion of the cleaning fluid is sprayed unnecessarily on the ground or on areas of the vehicle above the wheel R2. This not only consumes clearly more cleaning liquid than is in fact needed for the small wheel R2, in addition the aggressive cleaning liquid for the wheel/rim cleaning also attacks portions of the car body, particularly decorative elements, such as decorative bars made of chrome or plastic.
An example of a known spray nozzle as described above is disclosed in DE 90 00 427 U1, which discloses a wheel washing device for vehicle wheels, having a washing head which can be adjusted with respect to the vehicle rim. The washing head carries as the only cleaning device either spray nozzles or a rotating washing brush, wherein the spray nozzles are provided for the complete cleaning of the rim. A joint adjustment of the spray nozzle and the rotating washing brush is not provided there.
An additional rim cleaning device, in which a washing brush is adjusted to the rim, is disclosed in DE 35 18 297 A1, wherein only permanently installed spray nozzles for the foam and the liquid are provided there as well. This device as well has the above-described disadvantages.
EP 2 077 211 A1 discloses a vehicle washing installation having a movable portal and arranged on it rim washing brushes that are adjustable to the rims. The rim washing brushes can in addition comprise a spray nozzle for applying a cleaning liquid to the rims, wherein the spray nozzle are [sic] centered relative to the rotation axis of the rims. A uniform distribution of the cleaning liquid on the rim with sufficient exposure time before the washing of the rims with rim washing brush is not possible there.
DE 93 11 390 U1 discloses a spraying device on a portal washing installation for motor vehicles, wherein wheel brushes are provided there for cleaning the vehicle rims, having spray nozzles arranged directly on them. For applying the spray liquid, the wheel brush is positioned at the height of the rims, that is, on the wheel axle, wherein the rim is then sprayed and subsequently cleaned. If, for cleaning the rims, a special aggressive rim cleaning agent is used, then, on the wheel brush, a second nozzle is provided, whose spray cone axis is parallel to the rotation axis of the wheel brush or its movement direction, as a result of which the spraying of the side portion of the vehicle is carried out more effectively. A uniform distribution of the cleaning liquid on the rim and particularly on its marginal areas with sufficient exposure time before the washing of the rims is not possible there.
EP 0 752 353 A1 relates to a washing device for vehicle wheels in a car wash, each having, arranged on the two sides of the movement area of the vehicle, a washing brush which rotates about a horizontal brush axle, and which can be pressed by means of a prestressing force onto the vehicle. A spray nozzle is arranged in the vehicle movement direction before or after the washing brush at a distance such that the high-pressure jet of the vehicle can reach the vehicle unaffected by the washing brush. Since the washing brush is pressed against the vehicle, the spray nozzle is held automatically at the correct distance from the vehicle, so that a determination of the distance of the spray nozzle from the wheel of the vehicle is not necessary.
EP 0 700 814 A1 relates to a portal washing installation having a rim brush and a side spray nozzle arranged on it, which is adjusted together with the rim brush, and adjustable in terms of the height. A distance measurement between the side washing device and the wheel of the vehicle is not present there, since the distance between the side spray nozzle and the vehicle is set by means of the holder of the rim brush.